1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method for aperture correction.
2. Related Background Art
Digital image input apparatuses are now rapidly prevailing, including a scanner, an electronic camera, a video camera, a photo CD, and the like. DTP (Desktop Publishing) is therefore widely used for processing and editing images on a computer and outputting the images on a display or a printer.
A user displays image data taken with an electronic camera or the like on a display of a computer to edit it and print out. In such a case, color management systems (CMS) have been used conventionally.
The color management system (CMS) ensures color matching between different output media. "Color Sink" by Macintosh, "Color Sense" by Kodak, and the like are currently known which realize color matching to some degree.
These conventional techniques realize color matching between different output devices. However, matching between image sharpness, i.e., how images are viewed, is not realized.
For example, even if an image on a monitor has an optimum resolution sense (contour and dynamic range), a printed-out image often becomes a very vague image.
This is because a monitor and a printer have very different resolutions and dynamic ranges. In order to match resolution senses, it is therefore necessary to perform pixel interpolation and dynamic range correction. Furthermore, even if output devices have the same resolution, for example, since a monitor and a printer use different luminescent substances and light reflection substances, there is a problem of different resolution senses.
In order to avoid these problems, a user is required to have some experiences, and conventionally each user has performed image processing such as contour emphasis and gradation conversion, by using image editing tools.
Different aperture corrections and gradation conversions have been carried out in some cases between different output devices. Format and system have not been proposed as yet which, like CMS, automatically perform such corrections and gradation conversions without imposing a load on a user.